A transgender-or trans-person is anyone who identifies as such! In short, a trans person is someone who does not identify with the gender assigned to them at birth. There is no special process to "qualify" as trans, nor any action needed. It's an umbrella term that covers anyone that identifies with it. Being trans often results in a social transition, medical transition, or both.

There are a wide variety of known "causes", though it is a misguided question, however well-intentioned it may be. Suffice to say, there are a number of biological causes, but the search for this is due to biological essentialism. Biological essentialism, or bioessentialism, is the school of thought that everything must be rooted in a physical condition, and it ignores the experience of trans people. This is often intended as a rebuttal to fundamentalist arguments against trans people. Unfortunately, that also creates a search for a "cure", as well as questions as to what someone must be to "qualify" as trans. Not only is this something that does not need a "cure", the only "qualification" needed is for the person to identify as such.

They Mayo Clinic describes gender dysphoria as "the feeling of discomfort or distress that might occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth or sex-related physical characteristics ".  Put simply, it is a pervasive discomfort caused by a mismatch of gender and sex. This is not to be confused with gender roles, of course. Gender roles are simply what society expects from your gender presentation, whereas gender identity is who you are.

Gender dysphoria is a complex condition that can range from mild discomfort to life threatening conditions. It usually requires a qualified mental healthcare professional to help manage.  If you don't already have one in mind, a great place to start is searching the World Professional Association for Transgender Health's (WPATH) provider search here.

The short answer is "yes, sometimes". It's up to the individual if they wish to identify themselves as trans, and whichever way they decide is the complete answer.

This is not a simple question. The first thing to do is research. WPATH has a great list and variety of resources for research. It is also a great idea to contact a qualified mental healthcare provider. It can help to join a support group and ask people there about their experiences, and how they came to learn about themselves. While everybody is different, perhaps this will help you discover more about yourself! Our own support group is accessible on Discord here.

The first thing to ask a clinic-be it mental or physical healthcare-if they have an LGBTQ+ doctor on staff. Many people find that having a doctor who is also part of this community is more comforting.

You can also ask for a consultation. These are often free, and will enable you to ask questions directly to the provider. Some good questions to ask are:

• What experience do you have working with the trans community/clients?

• How familiar are you with the WPATH Standards of Care?

• What training have you taken to better understand trans people?

• How long ago was this training?

• Do you currently have other trans clients?

• What would you do if I had a question or experience that required more education on your part?

• Do you provide letters for gender affirming care and name change?

• Any other questions you might have for the provider on a personal level should be added as well.

If you are a parent or guardian of a trans or questioning child, the American Psychological Association (APA) has a great article on finding a good therapist for your child.

https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/gender-competent-therapist-considerations

​Good question! The most important thing to do is make sure that they know that you intend to be supportive. Nobody is perfect, and nobody expects you to be, but knowing that you are trying is the most important part. If the person is changing their name/pronouns, work on applying them to the person even in how you think of them. That will make changing how you speak of them much easier. In the event that you slip up, a quick "sorry" followed by a correction is the best response.

When someone comes out to you, a good way to react is saying "thanks for trusting me!" While it should be something that is generally accepted and safe to tell people, your friend or relative has just trusted you with information that is extremely scary to share, and all the lead-up to that required a ton of mental preparation and rehearsal. It is a big deal, and thanking them for their trust shows that you respect that, respect them, and are supportive. Something you should absolutely NOT do is tell them that you are mourning the loss of who they were. This is not a time of mourning, it is a time of celebration! Coming out does not change who a person is, it is simply shedding a mask that the person was wearing for their whole life up to that point. It is often the first point at which that person truly feels alive.

As for specifics of how the person wishes to be referred to, that is up to the individual. Respect their choice on who they tell and when, and never "out" someone. "Outing" someone is telling people that someone is any form of LGBTQ+ without their permission, and can create danger and distress for the person.

Another important step to take is research. learning more about this person's experience is an excellent show of support, because it shows that you care enough to learn. Since you are here, you do care, so definitely show that care! Unless the person is in danger, however, do not try to push them one way or another on any topic, as the person will take whatever steps they are ready for when they are ready for it. Your demonstration of support no matter what is already showing them that they are safe to exist as they are comfortable doing. There are resources below for beginning your research.

It's also important to remember not to ask prying questions. Most people are not comfortable answering very personal questions such as surgery status, so it is generally a good idea to avoid asking them in the first place.

"De-transitioning" is what happens when people medically or socially transition, then decide to reverse that. It is very rare, though more common in Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB) people than Assigned Male At Birth (AMAB) people. Studies show that the regret rate for transitioning, socially, medically, or both, is somewhere between 0.3% to 1%. For comparison, a wide variety of sources place knee surgery regret at between 10% and 20%.

According to an Oxford study of over 21,000 transgender people, of the people that did either permanently or temporary stop their medical transition, 36% reported that it was due to pressure from a parent or parents, 33% was because it was too difficult, 31% was due to harassment or discrimination, and 29% due to trouble finding a job, and many cited multiple reasons. The majority of the people who detransitioned did so temporarily, but that study did not state what that proportion was.

Of course, these aren't the only reasons people detransition. Some do because they ultimately discover that they are nonbinary or genderfluid rather than solidly identifying with a single gender 100% of the time. Although it is extremely rare, some also simply discover that they do, in fact, identify with their assigned gender, and cite other reasons for why they originally believed themselves to be trans.

The most common reasons for believing themselves to be trans, but discovering otherwise later are cited as mistaking pressure to fit a gender role for actual gender dysphoria, depression, anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions. This is not a comprehensive list, of course, but it is an brief overview of a very complex topic. Part of what makes it complex is the difficulty in finding reliable data on detransitioning, since it is used so frequently as an argument against transgender healthcare.

Sexual orientation is as complex of a topic as gender identity. What it ultimately boils down to is that your sexual orientation is what you feel it is. Nobody can know that as well as you do. Many people ask whether a man being attracted to a trans woman, for example, makes the man gay, and the simple answer to that is no. A trans woman is a woman, a trans man is a man. Trans is a descriptor, not a gender, much like how you would say that a car is red. Red has nothing to do with whether or not the car is a car, it is simply further describing the car. It is for that reason that you would not describe a trans woman as a "transwoman". The separation of words is there because they are separate aspects of the person in question.

The simple answer is that it affects people the same way that hormones that your body would produce would. This means that results are as individual as they are without HRT. In general, secondary sexual traits (for example beard growth or breast development, depending on which way you're going) will develop to varying degrees, but those of whichever starting point you have will not be reversed. This is why puberty blockers are an important tool for adolescents who are questioning or trans.

This is, of course, not a medical resource, so if you have any further questions on it, please consult with a qualified medical expert.

Puberty blockers are a class of medication that stop the effects of puberty while taken. They have been used since the 1980s without much concern for side effects, and the FDA has approved them for the treatment of various conditions like endometriosis, prostate cancer, and precocious puberty (a condition in which a person enters puberty early). Essentially, it "pauses" puberty. They are found through their extensive use to have no permanent effects, and as soon as a patient stops taking them, puberty resumes as if never interrupted.

The observed effects of puberty blockers for questioning or trans adolescents include reduced depression/anxiety, improved social interactions, reduced need for surgeries later, and reduction of thoughts of self harm.

For any further questions on this topic, please refer to a qualified healthcare professional.